


How I Fell for Tracy

by GloriaGilbertPatch



Category: How I Met Your Mother
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-07
Updated: 2014-09-14
Packaged: 2018-02-16 12:15:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2269341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GloriaGilbertPatch/pseuds/GloriaGilbertPatch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ted and "the mother" start to fall in love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Best Man

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pie_is_good](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pie_is_good/gifts).



“So…you used to date Robin?”

“For about a year, yeah, but that was, like, six years ago? Wow, has it really been that long? Put it this way, we broke up before Marshall and Lily got married, and she is now pregnant with baby number two.”

“Isn’t that weird?” Tracy’s brown eyes were big and emotive, but unlike every time Victoria mentioned Robin, she seemed more concerned with what it meant to Ted than what it meant to Ted-and-her. Which was fair, it was only their second date, after all.

“You mean, that I was the best man at my ex-girlfriend’s wedding? Yeah, it’s a little weird, but I’m not in love with her anymore, and…wait, Tracy, what is it?”

“I didn’t realize you were the best man.”

“I gave the toast.”

“Yeah, and the band didn’t have to play during the toast, so I ran to the bathroom. I was probably peeing the entire time you were talking.”

“If you were peeing the entire time I was talking there’s something wrong with your kidneys. I’ve been told I’m a little long-winded.” Ted winced as he heard himself speak.

“God, I’m sorry. That took a turn. I normally don’t make pee jokes until after the ‘I love you’s.” He winced again. “Aaaaaand I normally don’t bring up ‘I love you’ this early, either.” He almost corrected himself again, but Tracy was laughing and maybe he shouldn’t bring up that much about a six-year-old relationship on a second date.

“No, Ted, it’s okay, I don’t mind. It’s just a funny coincidence, your being the best man.”

“Really? How so?” Ted wracked his brain, trying to think of a way that his being the best man and Robin and Barney’s wedding could be a coincidence instead of just kind of sad and ironic, considering the fact that he’d once planned out his own wedding to Robin.

“Because that means you punched Darren! Ted, I will love you forever just for that.” Tracy’s eyes went wide as she clearly remembered that she was on a date and the words, “I will love you forever” take on a certain connotation in that context that could make things awkward.

“Who’s Darren? Wait…was he that dick who kept stirring shit with everyone?”

“I mean, I think of him as ‘that dick who was trying to kick me out of my own band,’ but yeah, that sounds like him. He stormed over to the bar after you punched him, yelling about the best man, and then he quit and all my problems were gone.” She smiled sweetly and, turning, placed her hand over his. “I told Linus-the-bartender I wanted to buy the best man a drink in return for that heroic behavior. I don’t know if it actually happened, but if not, thank you, Ted, for punching that dick. Your bruised hand did not go unappreciated.”

“You’re welcome, Tracy. May he be the first of many dicks I punch for you! Wait. That sounded wrong.” He made a face, but she was smiling again and it didn’t matter – this pretty, funny, talented girl seemed to be as much of a dork as he was, and how in the _world_ had he gotten lucky enough to find her…

“But, you know, right when we all walked in after The Punch, Linus offered me a double of Glen McKenna 35-year, so never fear, he carried out your request beautifully. Thanks, by the way. He never told me why. I was starting to think he was carrying a torch for me.”

“Mmm, well, I’m not going to promise you he isn’t. But the scotch was from me.” She smiled. She had the prettiest smile. “Although I have to wonder how many people you punched that weekend, if you needed clarification.”

“You know, for a single weekend, it was pretty jam-packed.”

“I’ll say.” She paused, and the look on her face went a little pensive suddenly.

“I’m really glad I met you, Ted.”

“Me too.” He chuckled ruefully. “It’s actually a little hard for me to believe there’s really a woman like you out there, let alone that you’re sitting across from me.”

“Well…there is. And I’m here. And you know, the timing sucks but I’ve spent literal years of my life with a man I was, collectively, never as excited about as I’ve been in the last week and a half that I’ve known you, so whatever. You were the best man. You were my hero.” She smiled again. “So, you know, to hell with the timing. I don’t care. When I turned down Louis’s engagement ring it was so I could take a chance I’d meet someone like you. I didn’t expect it to happen so soon, but – ”

He broke her off with a kiss. It might be soon for Tracy, but it had been eight years for Ted. He wasn’t going to let this one get away.


	2. Ted's Last Cigarette

_You know when you find something that just seems perfect right for you, to the point where you almost don’t believe exactly what you were looking for exists? Like when you discovered soccer, Penny, or when Luke started drawing? Well, that was exactly how my first two weeks of dating your mother went._

She was almost too good to be true, and years ago that would have been enough to scare him away. No matter how much he had wanted commitment, he hadn’t really been ready, and even now Ted Mosby knew there was no way he could date Tracy McConnell and not want to spend the rest of his life with her. But it wasn’t scary anymore. He had no more what-ifs left: He’d dated casually; he’d been in love; he’d ridden the tricycle – and now it was time for The One. This was The One. _She_ was The One. And he couldn’t wait to see her again.

Ted pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket and lit one, watching the sun set, watching for Tracy, musing on the amazing timing of it all, shaking his head at the fact that he’d actually been in this woman’s apartment years ago and wondering what would have happened if he’d known her as something a little more than Cindy’s anonymous roommate.

Probably nothing, he told himself, but maybe only because it was nice to think he couldn’t have spared himself years of heartbreak, or at least weeks of Jeannette.

Where was Tracy?

It really should have been scary how eager he was to see her, how much he hated waiting even a couple of minutes, but after all these years all he could think was how nice it was to have a tangible someone to be waiting for.

He stomped out the cigarette and checked his watch. Six-twenty-five. She wasn’t _actually_ late yet…but why wasn’t she here?

She came into his view moments later, the sun at her back, and leaned in to kiss his cheek.

“Hey, Ted,” she said with a smile.

“Hey, beautiful,” he replied, his arm snaking around her waist and settling her body against his. “How was your day?” She rolled her eyes a little.

“Have I mentioned recently how much I hate this post-doc?”

“That really depends on how you define recent,” he kidded, “but yeah, I might’ve heard that before. Come on, let’s get you a drink and you can tell me about it.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Tracy said agreeably, tucking her hair behind her ear and leaning into his embrace. “I’m sorry if you were waiting long, by the way.”

“What makes you say that?” he asked, surprised. She _was_ technically early, after all.

“Mmm. You smell like that guy’s cigarette.” She wrinkled her nose a little, nodding her head towards a middle-aged man standing just outside the bar as they walked in. “Don’t worry; I like you enough that it’s not going to scare me off.” She snuggled against his shoulder and Ted made a mental note to get rid of the pack in his pocket as soon as he could.


End file.
